By Jay Cope, NAS Whiting Field
Public Affairs
Training Air Wing-FIVE's
(CTW-5) pilot training at Naval Air
Station Whiting Field is intentionally
difficult and stressful to help prepare
students for the rigors of military avia-
tion. However, providing the tools to
help the students meet those demands
effectively is a task that the Whiting
Field Fleet and Family Support Center
(FFSC) embraces.
Previously, Laura McLaughlin,
an education services facilitator for the
FFSC, prepared study skills and stress
management classes that CTW-5 lead-
ership had touted as effective in reduc-
ing stress and academic attrition in their
students. These classes are now an ac-
1st Lt. Ayleah Goodman flips through the
pages of the planner designed by other flightti part of the curriculum for primary
students and Laura McLaughlin at the FFSC. flight training. Now, she and a group
Goodman said that the items she likes the of student-aviators have gone one step
most are the reference materials in the back farther to devise a planner that can help
of the book, calling them "very convenient. the students organize their schedule
U. S. Navy photo by Jay Cope.
and keep a handy reference for study

MCPON Confirms

"Performance" as Key to Staying
By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW) Maria Yager, Navy Person-
nel Command Public Affairs
MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
(MCPON) visited Navy Personnel Command Jan. 27 where he spoke with one
of the largest chief petty officer communities in the Navy about senior-enlisted
continuation boards.
"The response I've been receiving has been pretty positive. We're going
to have a few who don't like this idea and that is OK," said MCPON (SS/SW)
Rick West. "The senior-enlisted continuation board, I think, is a very important
process for us. It gives us a quality check at the senior-enlisted levels."
According to NAVADMIN 030/09, performance-based senior-enlisted
continuation boards call for an annual performance-driven review of chiefs, se-
nior chiefs and master chiefs with more than 20 years of service and three years
time in grade. Members not selected for continuation after the performance-based
(Cont. on Page 2)

materials.
Former CTW-5 Commodore,
Capt. David Maloney approved the pilot
program in 2008 following the success
of the FFSC classes. He assigned four
students to a working group to help de-
vise the tool based on what their needs
were as they went through the program.
Ens. John Betza, Ens. Rob Brideman,
Ens. Adam Shephard, and Lt. j.g. Rob
Merin brainstormed ideas and tried to
incorporate items into the planner that
they wished they had available to them
during primary training. The end result
was a day-planner type tool with emer-
gency procedures of the day, system
limitations, a reference section, impor-
tant phone numbers and quick ref cards
for manuals.
"We tried to break it down so
you wouldn't always have to carry a
book bag of manuals," said Betza.
Three groups of students are

(Cont. on Page 6)

Performance Is Key
(Cont. from Page 1)
review will transfer development.
to the fleet reserve Some in the
or retire. chief's community
"Our Navy have their own ideas
is vacancy driven of what the board will
and if there is a look at.
hard-charging first "We have
class out there ready people in the Navy
to step up, we need with multiple PRT
to give them the op- failures, consecutive
portunity. We can- Ps (promotables) in
not promote them if MCPON Rick D. West speaks with the Se- their fitreps, or even
we have senior en- nior Enlisted Academy (SEA) class 143 at SP (significant prob-
listed people stand- Naval Station Newport. U. S. Navy file pho- lems). Those Sailors

ing in the way," said to.
Command Master
Chief (SW/AW) Billy Hill, assigned to
NPC as CMC detailer.
To date, NPC's active-duty con-
tinuation board coordinator has received
more than 70 calls from the Fleet seek-
ing more details with the two most com-
mon subjects being criteria and eligibil-
ity. Those topics have been prominent
in discussions among chiefs in general,
too.
"There has been a lot of talk
about it since the message came out
and for some people there is a lot of
uncertainty. The feedback I've heard is
that Sailors who may be facing these
boards would like a little more infor-
mation about the criteria," said Master
Chief Information Systems Technician
(SW/AW) Jerita Kearnes, senior enlisted
advisor for NPC's enlisted distribution
branch.
Kearnes, who is scheduled to
retire in February after 30 years of ser-
vice, is exempt from the board. While
the NAVADMIN does not specify what
constitutes performance, the senior en-
listed continuation board precept will
outline that information.
Officer continuation board pre-
cepts instructed board members to con-
sider performance as well as adverse
information. Candidates needed proven
and sustained performance with favor-
able consideration given to those who
displayed superior performance while
serving an Individual Augmentee or
GWOT Support Assignment and those
with relevant education and professional

will be easy to identi-
fy. If the board needs
more and is looking at the average Sailor
who has not taken hard assignments but
did a good job, that is going to be tough,"
said Master Chief Navy Counselor (SW/
SCW/AW) Tod Shuls, the Navy Coun-
selor and Legalman Detailer, who with
27 years of active duty is eligible for the
senior enlisted continuation board.
"It is going to be interesting to
see the fall-out. I have more than three
years time-in-grade and I am over 20
years," Shuls added.
According to the message, Na-
val Education and Training Professional
Development and Technology Center,
in Pensacola, Fla., will release a list of
continuation board candidates to com-
mands and servicing Personnel Support
Detachments in March 2009.
Each candidate is responsible
for ensuring their record is correct and
up-to-date with their latest evaluations,
awards and other appropriate informa-
tion. Candidates may communicate with
the continuation board by submitting a
board package. Selection board packag-
es provide candidates the opportunity to
submit any missing documents from the
sections of their records that are viewed
by the continuation boards. Packages
must be post marked no later than Aug.
17, 2009. Further guidance on submit-
ting a board package can be found in the
NAVADMIN.
Candidates may confirm receipt
of board packages by contacting the
NPC customer service center at 1-866-
U-ASK-NPC (1-866-827-5672).

News and Notes
SOY/FIOY Recognition Banquet The Santa Rosa
County Council of the Navy League will host their 2009 Sailor of
the Year and Flight Instructor of the Year recognition banquet Fri-
day evening Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in Sikes Hall. Commodore Scott
Walsh of Training Air Wing-FIVE will be the guest speaker for the
event. Call 623-2339 for more information.
Get a Taste for Art The Santa Rosa Arts and Culture foun-
dation will host their fourth annual "Get a Taste for Art" fundraiser
Feb. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Santa Rosa County Auditorium.
Attendees will get a taste of art through displays of culinary mas-
terpieces, original artwork, dance presentations, theatrical perfor-
mances and instrumentals. The fundraiser will include a silent
auction. The event is semi-formal and tickets are $25. Call 981-
1100 for details or visit www.santarosaarts.org.
Celtic Woman The international Irish music phenomenon,
Celtic Woman, will play at the Pensacola Civic Center April 3,
2009. Last year's hit show earned the ladies hundreds of new lo-
cal fans and this concert promises to be even better! Tickets are
on sale now for $63 and $43 at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at
434-7444 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Disney for the Troops Disney parks celebrate the U. S.
military with free multi-day admisions to theme parks in 2009.
Disney is granting active duty, reserve members on active duty,
and military retirees a free five-day hopper pass. This includes
members of the U. S. Coast Guard and National Guard. Eligible
patrons may also purchase up to five additional five-day (non-hop-
per) passes for $99 each. Tickets are valid up through June 12 for
the California park and until Dec. 23 for the Florida parks. See
www.disneyworld.com/military or your local ITT office for more
information.
Line Dance Santa Rosa Community Line Dance classes will
be held Thursdays from 6-7:30 p.m. for beginners and from 7:30
to 9 p.m. for intermediate dancers. Classes will be held at Hobbs
Middle School on Glover Lane. Cost is $50 for a 13-week session.
Call 623-4235 or 7234052 for details.
Yoga for Beginners The Milton Community Center will
host beginning Yoga classes from 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays and 9-10
am as well as 6:45 to 7:45 n.m on Fridavs Cost is $5 and the

rair wlnas ana r onowing seas
CC Elsa Saldivar and her family walk through the sideboys to mar
the end of her Naval career. The retirement ceremony was held Jan.
16 at the Wings Club Ballroom. She and her family have since moved
back to Texas. U. S. Navy photo by ABHC Eric Tomczak.
classes are sponsored by the Milton Parks and Recreation Depart-
ment. Call Linsey Williamson at 983-5466 ext 208 for more in-
formation.
Mardi Gras Ball The 13th Annual Arc Santa Rosa Mardi
Gras Ball will be held at NAS Whiting Field's Sikes Hall Feb. 21
at 6 p.m. The evening will begin with a social hour followed by
dinner, door prizes and a silent auction. Music will be provided by
the Main Street Band. Tickets are $50 per person or $350 per table
of eight. Please RSVP by Feb. 6. Call 623-9320 for details.
Baseball Clinic There will be a free instructional clinic for
boys and girls ages 7 to 14 at the Milton ball fields from 9 11 a.m.
Feb. 7. Pensacola Pelicans coaches will teach various baseball and
softball skills. Interested participants may register from noon to
8 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Milton Community Center.
Call 983-5466 ext. 208 for additional information.
Pace Road Work Santa Rosa County began a roadway proj-
ect Jan. 27 which includes the resurfacing of Floridatown Road,
from the bay to Highway 90 and the resurfacing of Chumuckla
Highway from Highway 90 to the Five Points intersection. This
will also include construction of turn lanes at the intersection of
Chumuckla Highway and Giddens Road. Minor delays can be ex-
pected, but road closures are not anticipated. Work is expected to
be complete by May 1. Call the county Public Works Department
at (850) 626-0191 with any questions.
Music as a Weapon Tour The chart-topping hard rock
band Disturbed will swing into the Pensacola Civic Center April 7,
at 7 p.m., as part of their North American tour. They will be joined
at the stop by Killswitch Engage and Five Finger Death Punch.
Tickets are on sale now for $44.50 General admission floor and
$37.50 for reserved seating through the Pensacola Civic Center
box office or ticketmaster outlets.
Riverwalk Arts Festival Historic Downtown Milton will
host the 21st Annual Riverwalk Arts Festival March 14-15 from
10 a.m. 5 p.m.. The event will feature fine art, folk art, multi-
cultural music, as well as other entertainment. There will also be
festival foods and childrens entertainment. The event is sponsored
by the Santa Rosa Arts and Culture foundation in partnership with
the City of Milton. Call 850-623-8493 or 3117 or see www.sracf.
org for details.

CU 's Uolumn F'1'SC Classes

(Cont. from Page 2)
We are actively pursuing an aggressive energy
conservation program and I appreciate everyone's ef-
forts toward ultimately achieving our goal of 30% sav-
ings in energy consumption. We are in the planning
stages of conducting a base-wide energy audit in order
to establish a baseline and determine where the most
aggressive actions to curtail energy consumption need
to take place. Several initiatives are now being put into
action as more solar powered street lights, solar water
heaters, and recycled oil-powered maintenance bay
heaters will soon be installed around the base.
But it isn't just about work. MWR just com-
pleted a successful Super Bowl party and planning has
already started for another May base-wide picnic. The
Wings Club is also taking reservations for the Valen-
tine's Day Dinner while planning this year's Mardi
Gras Party at Ace's Bar.
It will be a busy year, and we will work hard
throughout, but I want you all to know that I see and
sincerely appreciate what you do day in and day out.
Enjoy the upcoming Washington's Birthday Holiday
and be safe.

Speed Reading
If you are a flight student, or anyone else desiring to improve your read-
ing skills, the speed reading program at the FFSC can help you learn
how specialized eye movement exercises and other techniques can dra-
matically increase your reading rate. The program will target both speed
and comprehension skills. You can check out the CD at the front desk
and utilize the program in our computer room.
Ten Steps to a Federal Job.
Attend this class in order to learn how to prepare the best application
possible. You will learn how to read an announcement, analyze core
competencies for language, analyze vacancy listings for keywords, and
how to apply forjobs. Class will be held at the FFSC conference room.
For more information, call 623-7177.
How to Survive the Holidays Financially
It's that time of year when stores display holiday decorations, increase
their inventory, and gear up to convince you to spend money. This
training will provide the class with information, tools, and ideas neces-
sary to develop a holiday spending plan. Class will be held in the FFSC
conference room. For more information, contact a Work and Family
Life Specialist at 623-7177.
Time Management
At the end of the day, do you ask yourself "where did the day go?" The
information provided will empower you with tools that will help you
make the most of your busy and demanding days. Class will be held at
the FFSC conference room. For more information, contact a Work and
Family Life Specialist at 623-7177.

BBB Accepting Applications for Ethics Scholarship

Pensacola, Fla. (January 27, 2009) Your Bet-
ter Business Bureau Foundation of Northwest
Florida is currently accepting applications for the
2009 Student Ethics Scholarship.
A total of nine high school junior and se-
nior students will be granted $1,000 Student Eth-
ics Scholarship this year.
The Student Ethics Scholarship Award is

BBB
Slrt gh bu

given to college-bound students within the BBBI north-
west Florida service area who demonstrate overall per-
sonal integrity and ethical behavior.
Three students in each of your BBB's three dis-
tricts will receive a $1,000 scholarship toward the ac-
credited college or university of their choice.
Local leaders from businesses and academia
will serve as judges and award scholarships based on
criteria including leadership, community service, aca-
demic achievement and an essay response on building

character.
The Student Ethics Scholarship will be awarded
in conjunction with the Torch Award for Market-
place Ethics and the Customer Service Excel-
lence Award. The Torch Award was created to
recognize businesses and charities that insist on
exceptionally high standards of behavior in deal-
ing with customers, vendors and employees. The

Customer Service Excellence Award recognizes em-
ployees who go above and beyond in their customer
service activities.
The application deadline is March 27, 2009.
Scholarship recipients will be recognized and asked to
read their essay at a series of luncheons to be held in
May.
For entry forms and guidelines please visit
www.nwfl.bbb.org/TorchAward or call 850.429.0002
or 1.800.729.9226.

Iraqi/Coalition Efforts Accelerate

Growth of Medical Logistics
Editor's Note: Cmdr. Jeff Plummer was the OICfor the base
medical clinic prior to his departurefor an IA tour in Iraq last
year.
KIRKUSH Highlighting the accelerated growth of medical lo-
gistics in Iraq, the Ministry of Defense Director of Logistics and
the Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq Health
Affairs directorate presided over the ribbon-cutting Jan. 12 for a
new medical warehouse at the Kirkush Military Training Base.
"The purpose of this mission was threefold: support the
Surgeon General's logistics staff as they launch operations of the
class VIII medical warehouse, inspect the coalition- built Iraqi
outpatient medical clinic and review the Basic Medic Course
training program," said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jeff Plummer, Deputy
Director, MNSTC-I Health Affairs.
The Iraqi medical logistics system is growing more and
more independent every day. In addition to five Class VIII ware-
houses at the Taji National Depot, there are seven geographi-
cally-dispersed sub-warehouses in the Surgeon General Office's
plan for medical supply distribution.
MNSTC-I Medical Logistics Officer, Army Maj. Ed Ro-
driguez said, "The opening of the Kirkush facility marks the third
sub-warehouse placed into operation. Our next step is to bring
Iraqi theater medical logisticians to MoD Class VIII warehouse
locations for detailed and professional warehouse management
training.
The new warehouse, along with other joint efforts to
bolster the MoD's medical system, is another milestone towards
strengthening Iraq's security and sustainment capabilities.

A ijlit or me Ijiver
Toy Morgan, is flanked by Assistant Commissary Store Manager Kim
Jackson and Diane Grimes, Customer Service Superviser. Morgan, the
;pouse of an Air Force Reservist and Jay resident, is a frequent shopper
it the Whiting Field store. She was recently awarded a $100 commissary
;ift certificate and the plaque she is holding by the National Military Fam-
ly Association. The award was the Patriot Award of Merit for volunteer
;ervice. Morgan is the regional head of the Sew Much Comfort organiza-
:ion which tailors clothing for use by severely injured or disabled veterans
:oming back from the war. The organization donated more than 40,000
articles of clothing last year. U. S. Navy photo by Jay Cope.

BBB Warns About RALs
Pensacola, Fla. (February 2, 2009) Tax season is here and
many Americans are looking forward to receiving a large check
from Uncle Sam. Tax payers are turning to their tax preparers
who offer Refund Anticipation Loans (RAL) essentially an
advance for the amount of your refund. While RALs might be
a good source of instant cash, BBB warns that they come at a
high cost.
RALs are short-term, high-interest loans. The loan is
repaid when the consumers receive their refunds. The National
Consumer Law Center (NCLC) found that the effective rate for
a RAL can range from about 50 percent to nearly 500 percent.
Before agreeing to an instant refund, the BBB offers
the following advice:
*Consider e-File and Direct Deposit: It's the fastest
and most secure way for consumers to receive refunds; taxpay-
ers can have their money in as little as 8 to 15 days.
*Don't fall for the "convenient" debit card: These
cards are another way for tax preparers to make money. The
debit card often includes hidden fees and some have limits on
how much money you can access at one time.
*Finance purchases other ways: If consumers are look-
ing to purchase specific high-priced items with their refunds,
BBB encourages financing options other than RALs, such as
store credit promotions and offers.
*If you must, then shop around: Consumers can check
out tax preparer's record of integrity and performance free-of-
charge with BBB Reliability ReportsTM, available online at
www.bbb.org.

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FFSC Planner
(Cont. from Page 1)
working with the planners during training now and an early com-
ment from one of the test subjects was "It's great that a lot of the
material that we need to study is in one place."
Thirty-six students are in the test groups. The re-
view of the program began in Sept. 2008 and will extend approxi-
mately 6-8 months.
McLaughlin meets with these test students periodically
throughout their training, and based on their feedback, will work
with CTW-5 to determine if the project is worth expanding.
"Most problems students encounter is that they have prob-
lems managing their time properly," she said. "So we asked the
question, 'Why can't we create one tool with their needs in mind."
She worked with the Betza, Brideman, Merin and Sheph-
ard to match the planner to the flight training schedule. It took
The planner contains flight training evolutions, study tips, ref-
several months for the planner to be realized, and incorporating the The planner contains flight training evolutions, study tips, ref-
erence materials, and scheduling information to help make it
feedback makes it a work in progress. However, if the feedback easier for flight students to make productive use of their time.
continues to be mostly positive, it could be rolled out to most pri- So far the reviews have been mostly positive. U. S. Navy photo
mary students later in 2009. The idea is also being explored as to by Jay Cope.
whether a similar tool would be useful for advanced flight training
for the helicopter students. Either way, Betza feels the effort was worthwhile.
"Looking into how they design things seeing the process it was a good experience. I just hope that after it is
implemented that people find it useful something they can just open up and use."

VITA Program Offers Savings to NASWF

Beginning Jan. 21, Naval Air
Station Whiting Field (NASWF) will
once again offer free tax preparation
services through the Volunteer Income
Tax Assistance (VITA) program to ac-
tive duty, dependents, retirees, and re-
servists on active duty for more than
30 days. Through this program, those
eligible individuals not only can save
hundreds of dollars on tax preparation
fees, but they also can electronically
file their return to receive their refund
in the shortest time possible.
During the 2008 tax season,
Navy-wide volunteers with the VITA
program filed nearly 73,000 federal
and state tax returns, saving service
members and dependents more than
$9,100,000 in commercial tax prepara-
tion fees. Locally, last year the NAS-
WF Tax Center filed more than 500 tax
returns, with a savings to the taxpayer
of over $61,000. The VITA program
is a proven winner that improves mo-

rale and readiness and keeps money in
sailors' pockets. VITA significantly
reduces the effort and cost involved in
meeting federal and state tax obliga-
tions.
A few of the benefits include:
No preparation fees Commercial tax
preparers may charge in excess of $140
for the average electronically filed re-
turn. VITA/ELF volunteers prepare and
file the same returns at no cost to sailors
and dependents. Faster refunds Paper
returns may take eight or more weeks
to process. By using VITA, refunds are
deposited directly into a sailor's bank
account an average of two weeks from
the date of transmission, even from
overseas and afloat commands. These
rapid refunds greatly reduce the need
for refund anticipation loans (short-
term loans with added charges and high
interest rates). Fewer mistakes VITA
prepared returns are very accurate less
than a 1 percent error rate compared to

For more information on the services that NMCRS has to offer or for information
on how to make a donation, please call our office at 850-452-2300.

15 percent for paper returns.
This year, the NASWF Tax
Center is located in the Supply Depart-
ment, Building 2992, Room 21 (behind
the bowling alley on Wasp Street).
Tax preparation assistance is available
Monday through Friday, 0800-1600
on an appointment-only basis.
Before making an appointment,
please ensure you have all of your tax
documents. You will need W-2's,
1099R's, and bank documents show-
ing interest/dividends earned. You will
also be required to provide last year's
tax return or copies of your Social Se-
curity Card (for each member listed
on the return), and if the return will be
filed electronically, a blank check to
verify RTN and account number. Addi-
tionally for this year, you must provide
the amount received on your economic
stimulus check last year.
Please call 623-7232 to make
an appointment.

No Charge Waste Disposal Offered
Amnesty Day, which offers Santa Rosa County resi-
dents the opportunity to dispose of household hazardous waste
at no charge, is scheduled for March 28 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Amnesty Day is not a recycle day, but a special day for
disposal of household hazardous waste. Materials will also be
accepted from conditionally exempt small quantity generators
including small businesses, schools and growers at a reduced
rate. Small quantity generators must call (850) 981-7135 by
noon on March 27 to schedule a drop off time. Calls will be ac-
cepted from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Two drop off sites will be available, at the Santa Rosa
County South Side Service Center, 5819 Gulf Breeze Parkway
in Midway and at the parking lot of the Santa Rosa County Ad-
ministrative Complex, 6495 Caroline Street in Milton, behind
McDonald's.
Afew of the articles which may be turned in are:house-
hold cleaners, lubricants, motor oil, oil filters, paint, pesticides,
pool cleaners, and more. Any containers of a household hazard-
ous waste larger than five gallons will not be accepted.
Household garbage will not be accepted as part of Am-
nesty Day. Cathode ray televisions and monitors will be ac-
cepted at the Midway location. They will not be accepted at
the Amnesty Day drop off on Caroline Street, but can be taken
directly to the Central Landfill located at 6337 Da Lisa Road in
Milton.
Amnesty Day is a cooperative effort of Santa Rosa
County, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
and Jim Reece of the Okaloosa County Environmental Of-
fice. For more information, contact (850) 981-7135.

By Lt. Ron Flanders, USS
Ronald Reagan Public Affairs
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- USS Ron-
ald Reagan (CVN 76) partnered
with NFL Network and the San
Diego Chargers Feb. 1 to throw a
special Super Bowl party for the
ship's crew.
The ship was an on-loca-
tion site for NFL Network's "Hang
Time" program, with comedian Jeff
Ross hosting a special Super Bowl-
themed edition of the show from
the Reagan as the crew enjoyed the
Super Bowl while in port at Naval
Air Station North Island.
"I couldn't ask for a better
way to spend Super Bowl Sunday
than to spend it at a tailgate party
with so many heroes," said Ross,
who has performed comedy shows
for service members all over the
globe. "I mean, I'm on an aircraft
carrier! How cool is that?"
Ross was joined in cel-
ebrating the nation's biggest foot-
ball game by four members of the
San Diego Chargers' dance team,
the "Charger Girls." The Char-
ger cheerleaders spent their Super
Sunday watching the game with
and signing autographs for Ronald
Reagan Sailors.

"We really appreciate all
of the Sailors staying back and pro-
tecting us on Super Bowl Sunday,"
said Charger Girl Heather. "We just
wanted to make their Super Bowl
party a little more exciting."
More than 100 Ronald
Reagan Sailors sat together on the
mess decks, some in Navy uniform,
others sporting the colors of their
favorite NFL teams.
"This party is awesome,"
said Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd
Class Ravneet Bains of Ronald
Reagan's Security Department. "I
never would have expected some-
thing like this on the ship. It was
great to see such a huge turnout."
Three NFL Network cam-
eras scoured the ship the afternoon
of the game, interviewing more
than two dozen Sailors and profil-
ing the newest aircraft carrier on
the west coast. The special edition
of NFL Network's "Hang Time"
will air in mid-February.
Ronald Reagan is the ninth
of 10 Nimitz-class nuclear-powered
aircraft carriers. The ship is named
for the 40th U.S. president; its mot-
to, "Peace through Strength," was a
recurring theme during the Reagan
presidency.